Classic TV Talk --- "the Syndicate"

[Mikey]

Ever notice old TV shows always refer to the mafia as "the syndicate" ?

What's up with that ?

[palitoy]

I didn't know so i looked it up:

Although there are many legal syndicates formed around the world, the usage of the term "the syndicate" in colloquial English often refers to one involved in illegal activities.

[Earth 2 Chris]

This could all be hearsay, but I heard Marvel called their version of the mafia, "The Maggia", because they feared actual reprisals from real mobsters, who were located in their hometown of New York. If that is true (and it may or may not be) the same thinking may have had TV writers step around using the mafia term as well.

Chris

[PNGwynne]

They use this term often in later "Mission: Impossible" episodes. I thought it was a sort of catch-all euphemism for organized crime.

[Mikey]

Also on McMillian and Wife (been watching them lately)

[TrekStar]

Used many many times on the old school Hawaii Five-O TV show.

[Apositive]

I read that term Maggia in Spider man and Daredevil comics, totally true. But if Marvel thought they were going to be targeted, that's kind of funny.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Used on the Batman TV show at least once, by Evol Ekdol (sp). "I made a contract, with the syndicate!"

This is seared into my brain because of the soundtrack album.

Chris

[Mikey]

I knew a guy who was in "the syndicate" (for real)

Just a lowly soldier

Nicest guy in the world, but would cut your balls off in a second if he could make a dime on it.

Not sure why I brought this up but suddenly my hands are in a ball protective mode

...... where the edit button ?

[Brazoo]

I could easily be wrong, but I think the term mafia refers specifically to Sicilian crime organizations, so it might be offensive to refer to all organized crime as mafia. Like, I think it's something the American Italian Anti-Defamation League use to object to. I believe that's why the word mafia is never said in the Godfather movies, as another example.

[knight errant00]

I could easily be wrong, but I think the term mafia refers specifically to Sicilian crime organizations, so it might be offensive to refer to all organized crime as mafia. Like, I think it's something the American Italian Anti-Defamation League use to object to. I believe that's why the word mafia is never said in the Godfather movies, as another example.

That's what I was about to say . . . I've read the Anti-Defamation League were really aggressive and taking movies/TV/books to task back then for portraying organized crime as Italian by using "Mafia" (even in The Untouchables back in the '50s) so the entertainment industry kinda spontaneously created this "Syndicate" as a catch-all. And to be fair, with the various ethnic organized crime (Meyer Lansky, anybody?)

I wonder where "The Syndicate" first appeared?

[Mr.Marion]

Also on McMillian and Wife (been watching them lately)

Yep I've been watching that on Netflix. Not a great show but when you work from home its good to have on in the background. I like how after his wive died he had a different date each week. No grieving process.

Mission impossible used that lingo a lot. The 6th and 7th season are mostly all underworld villains as opposed to made up nations wearing props from Nazi movies.